A Cold Embrace
by aQiel
Summary: REQUESTED: Seven years had gone, Erza was torn apart between apologizing and forgiving. should she or would she do it?


_Anime/manga: Fairy Tail_

_Pairing: Erza x Jellal_

_Length: 1606 words_

_Request by: King Kenichi (my dearest bestfriend)_

_Setting/summary: After 7 years since they went missing. The day after they met for the first time. Erza went out for a walk in the cold night and someone approached her._

_Rating K._

_Warning: Probably some OCC-ness. I'm not really into Fairy tail but i do keep track of them. My friend up there is a total die-hard-fan of FT, so I'm just writing this for her. And share it with lots of you._

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><p>A COLD EMBRACE<p>

It was winter, the snow was pouring everywhere making her shiver as the coldness crept to every single bone she had. She looked up, narrowing her eyes to the stars as she rubbed her arms to gather as much heat as she could. She let her head dropped and squinted her eyes to a bench that was a few feet away, quickening her pace to the not so comfortable looking bench. She dusted away the snow and sat on it, though it didn't helped much because the moment her butt touch the wooden plunk, she gasped at the sudden coldness that shoot through her spine. She rosed from her seat and held dearly at the sudden urge to destroy the seat into thousands pieces.

She rubbed the bench a few times with her gloved hands, trying to warm the seat. Slowly, she dropped to the seat; it was still cold but not as much as the first. She leaned at the chair, minding to twirl her red hair around to the front so it won't hit the back of it. She relaxed her shoulders when she felt the seat getting warm from her heat.

She looked up once again, it was still snowing but it wasn't as heavier as before. She stared at the stars, she can hardly see them because of the snow but the half moon was shone brightly enough for her to see the reflection of it on the lake. She looked around, there were leafless trees, all were covered in snow making her wonder if she was in a world of silver. It was mesmerizing, the trees and the glittering sky. Even her previous footprint was now covered in snow already, leaving no trace as if she didn't walk at all. The stunning beauty of the mother nature made her smile as she closed her eyes and tugged her dark red coat closer to her body.

She kept her eyes closed until she felt a warmness coming from her side. She slowly cracked her eyes and looked at her thighs, they were covered slightly with snow so she swept them away. Then she turned her eyes to the thigh next to her. She looked at it, measuring it silently, taking note that it was slightly bigger and longer than her own. They were also covered in snow, made her think how long had the man sat next to her. Did she fell asleep?

"Did I wake you?"

She looked at his legs, she could tell that it was tensed. He was wary, it made her chuckled a little. She let her thigh relaxed and let their knees slightly touched. It made the man tense more but soon released it tension by letting it leaned against her. She smiled, "Did I fell asleep?" she asked the obvious.

The man chuckled, she couldn't help but find the voice was soothing her, "I don't know, you closed your eyes so I thought you were asleep. Don't want to wake you so I slipped in." Jellal looked up, locking his eyes with the stars, "Never knew you wouldn't notice me, you shouldn't do that. What if it wasn't me that sitting here?"

Erza sighed, "You wouldn't hurt me…ever."

"I would…if I didn't lose my memory."

Her heart ached, ached so much that it hurt her heart, her head, all sorts of her body very, very badly. She had loved this man, this very man that gave her hope when she gave up her life as a slave. And tear her heart apart when he betrayed her and her friends, sending her life miserable with the guilt and the burdened of their friends' lives that she had to carry for years. Had killed her very dear friend in front of her eyes, hurting them, using them, laughed at them, made them cried as he trampled on their trusts and…

Saved her life.

_Jellal…_

She knew he was the one who saved her from the aetherion. She has accepted the fact that he was dead, leaving her alone, forever, giving her no chance to be mad at him, beat him for what he had done to her and…thanked him.

But he was alive…and lost his memory, all of them.

She thought it was ridiculous. Really? After all this drama he had forgotten about them? All of them? This must be kind some kind of stupid joke, like when Natsu offered Lucy to warm her butt using his fire when the blond girl whined about her ass being hurt. Only the raid-haired didn't found the whole situation was amusing at all. Spare her that innocent acted, he can't pretend like it wasn't any of his intention just because he can't remember them. Don't act like how he felt guilty for killing their friend and whined about how he shouldn't do that. It's pathetic.

Seven years, she still couldn't believe how fast the time flies. And in those years she was sleeping.

Everything has changed, their guild, their friends…and Jellal.

Erza turned her head to face the man, Jellal had squeezed his eyes so hard and gripped his hands until his knuckles turned white. She wanted to reach out for him but instead she studied the man features, feeling somehow embracing the man wasn't such a good idea to do. He was taller than before, his blue hair was damped by the moon light. The tattoo at his eye was beautiful, she had always admired how the art fit the man perfectly. The man himself was an art, a gorgeous one to boot. His skin was paled, unlike hers which was creamy white. His shoulder, despite being tensed and covered with a long dark coat, she could see how broad and muscled he was. His knuckles were clearly shown and with the coldness of surrounding, she can see the blood vessels running along on the back of the palms.

Erza took off her gloves, slowly and cautiously placed her hand to the other man's. Then she looked up to the confused face who was startled with the sudden closeness, "You would…but now, you wouldn't," and threw him a smile, "I'm sure."

She then held up her hand, running along the smooth jaw of Jellal's face. Upon the soft warm hand on his face, he closed his eyes again but didn't squeeze them and leaned at the touch. Welcoming the soft gesture. She run her fingers from the jaw, slowly to the forehead and brushed the messy hair aside, showing his prominent forehead. His brows twitched an inch higher, and the pained look was on his face again.

Seven years had gone and she wondered briefly if he had wallowing himself in self-loathing. Blaming himself over and over again every single day in the prison as bit by bit the memories engulfed him from inside. No one to apologize, no one to turn to and no one to forgive. All alone. The thought itself made her heart wrenched. She had slept peacefully for seven years, ignorant of others misery while Jellal had dying emotionally for those years. Was that fair? She felt disgusted at herself.

She felt her hand trembling as she held his cheek, "I still couldn't…forgive you."

_It hurts._

He slowly cracked his eyes and keep locking his eyes with her, bringing his hand to the one that was on his cheek and intertwined them, "I know…"

_Don't._

"I won't forgive you…" she whispered and leaned forward until their foreheads touch each other. Gritting her teeth as she prayed to not breakdown in front of him. She can't afford it. Not to this very man.

_Please don't say it._

"Yeah…" He mumbled, his breath touched her cheeks. It's tingling her.

_Do not apologize._

She let her gaze dropped to her other hand, holding it up and palmed his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat against her hand. She loved the rhythm of it against her palm. It made her…safe that he was here. She then tugged at his coat, silently beckoning him to come closer. "I-I hate you..." She hated how her voice was shaking too much.

_I don't deserve it._

He closed his eyes and a smile tugging at his lips. It was…genuine, "Hmm..." he hummed playfully.

Her face blushed faintly, hating the way he mocked her, "I really do hate you." She said sarcastically, though...

_I love you._

She rested both of her hands on each paled cheek and soon two calloused palms were both on hers. She closed her eyes, trying as hard as she could to memorize this short moment of her life. Because this…will end soon.

_It was too short…_

"Liar…you don't have a fiancé." She whispered.

The chilled air brushed against her face and slowly she snapped her eyes open and looked ahead only to find an empty seat next to her. She looked around, the empty space already covered with snow and there's nothing at all on the ground except the white, fluffy cold substances. Leaving not even a single evidence that he was there.

He was gone. Just like he always had.

She sighed deeply and cocking her head upward to the sky and frowned when she saw a black umbrella roofing her. She took it carefully, shaking it a little so the snow would fall off and rested it on her shoulder. He had left it for her. A slow smile appeared on her chipped lips before tilting her head to the night sky, gazing at the stars for the third time since she had arrived.

She kept locking her eyes to the stars.

Somehow she knew he was looking at them too.

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><p>Note for King Kenichi : I'm soooo sorry for the long wait for this! I was busy with my other story and *caugh* forgot *caugh* about it. My bad! Anyhow, this story was more of a present for your hard work in your exam. CONGRATULATION!<p>

A.N.: LOL, when I read this after I finished, I got goosebumps for all the cheesiness. Never knew I could write something as cheesy as this. Anyway, I hope you guys would like it. Kindly send me a feedback if you want to. Comments and critiques are most welcome.


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